Georgia Football: J.J. Green Will Be Key To Bulldogs' Success On Defense

By Matt Maddux

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

J.J. Green might be a familiar name to Georgia Bulldog fans, but expect him become a household name across all of college football. Green played running back for the Bulldogs in 2013. Coming into Georgia, coaches were unsure if Green would play offense or defense. The talented player played on both sides of the ball during his high school career. He was a great running back, but he might have been an even better cornerback.

Several key injuries on the offensive side of the ball last season caused the Bulldogs to play Green at running back. He finished the season second on the team with 384 yards and three touchdowns on 68 carries. Green, who is 5-foot-9 and 183-pounds, does not have the idea size for a SEC running back. In my opinion, he is better suited playing defensive back.

Now that the 2014 season is right around the corner, defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt has Green playing in the secondary. During the Bulldogs’ spring practices, Green worked at several different positions on defense. He spent most of spring working at the Star position, a special role in Pruitt’s system. Green will see most of his work in the nickel alignment, which will likely be the Bulldogs’ base defense.

If there is one person I would compare Green to, it would be former Florida State Seminole cornerback Lamarcus Joyner. Joyner was a big part of Pruitt’s defense while he was the defensive coordinator for the Seminoles. Green and Joyner are very close in size and athletic ability. While playing for the Seminoles, Joyner was all over the field. Depending on the defensive alignment, he played either free safety or nickel position. Expect Pruitt to use Green in the exact same way.

It should be interesting to see how well Green does with the position change. He has all the tools to be a successful player on the Bulldogs’ defense in 2014. There may not be a player as important as Green when it comes to the Bulldogs’ new-look defense.

Matt Maddux is a SEC Football writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Dawgomatic229, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.